Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-03-24
AvorHra BUTFsno HoanoR.
A Hotel Rurned-L0ss of Life and
ThrSilfmK Escapes.

A Hotel Rurmed-Loss Of Life ana
TnriiiinR Escapes.
BurrALo, N. Y, March 18.--Another
calamity has visited Buffalo. The splen-
did new Richmond Hotel. at the corner
OF Main and Eagle streets, was totally de-
etroyed by fire early this morning, to-
oether with St. James Hall, Tivoh Hall,
and other adjacent property. The most
distressful part of the disaster is the loss
OF several human lives. At this writing
no a. II. } 1t is impossible to say Just how
many persons are killed and injured, but
the number Is large. The rapidity OF the
fire cutting off means of escape, LED some
persons to leap for life from windows.
Others got down the FIRE escapes
or Hayes ladders raised by the
fire department. The shrieks and
cries of the poor people In the upper
stories of the burning structure were
heart-repding. One man mad with terror
leaped from third story window and
was picked up from the stone sidewalk
on Main street mangled and bleeding
corpse. Several who succeeded IN max
ing their escape were badly injured and
burned, and some of these will probably
die. Others more fortunate escaped with
slight injuries. Many of the wounded
were taken to Carney's saloon, and after
wards to hospitals. Among these was y.
q. Bryant, New York travelling man,
burned about the feet and hands, and
Hon. M. W. Barr of Olean, terribly
burned about the hands and wrists.
Robert Stafford, senior proprietor OF
| the hotel, with his wife, occupied
rooms on tho second floor and had mar
row escape. Terror overcame everybody
1 m In,
| were in many cases prostrated by their
| awful experiences. To this there was o
| notable exception. A man stood scaDtily
| clothed at one of the windows of the
| fourth story alternately surveying the
/ flames darting up behind him and then
coolly and collectedly watching the opera
| tons of the tiremen raising the Hayes ex-
| tention ladder to save him. He uttered
not word, but was apparently busy cal
| culatinR his chances. Up went ladder
slowly but surely, and it finally reached
him, Just as the fire was bursting out Of
the window where he stood. He reached
the top rung of the ladder in safety and
descended deliberately and without the
slightest injury.
The origin of the fire is not as yet
known. Willium H. Airport, the night
clerk, says: 1.-THE Ere started in the
cloak room under the main stairway at
8. so O'Clock. There was nobody up but
myself, Joe, the night porter, and Plum
mer, tile bell boy. pulled all four of
the fire alarms on the different floors and
the people came flying down stairs in
their night clothes. The fire followed
the elevator, and inside of five minutes il
reached the top floor. rushed out OF
doors after doing all could"
| BUFFALO, N. Y, March 19.-Henry b.
Rumsey of New York, who was one OF the
guests at the Richmond on the night Of
the fire and who was terribly burned
about the body, died at the Fitch Hospi
tai at Las O'Clock this morning Thi;
makes six known deaths thus far.
Following is q revised list of the dead
Wilson Purcell; Kate Wolf of Lockpoit
J Mark Osborne, body not yet recovered
Lizzie Welch, servant; Katie Kent, ser
: want; Henry b. Rumsey of New York
died at the hospital.
Those missing and unaccounted fo
arc j. B. Acker Of the Delaware, Lacka
| wanna & Western railroad, supposed Il
, have arrived on Thursday night and reg
] istered at the Richmond Hotel; Hiram
Benedict, Jr., of Lockport; Mr.. johnson
of Toronto, railroad man; Josepl
Sayre of Erie, Pa; j. O. Pratt of Albany
the last named gentleman was known 4
have been at the Richmond Hotel. Mr.
8 Goodrich OF New York, reported missing
has been heard from at Cleveland, o.
; The list at present stands six person
: dead; 81 injured, five or six seriously
and five missing.
o BUFFALO, March 20.--Workmen mad
o q partial search to. day of the ruins of tn
Q Richmond Hotel, but did not find an
Q bodies, The work was dangerous, for tn
Q walls are tottering, and thousands o
4 spectators expected every moment to Sc
i the men buried by the six-storied front o
d the burned building. The Rev. Samue
d Il. Fuller of st. Johns Church, to.nigh
70 denounced the people whose greed wa
n responsible for the construction of sue
" death trap. The Rev. Mr.. Ackerma
II of st. Marks Church said it was dii
grace that the city bad allowed the hots
d to be opened. Fear of incendiaries induce
y Mr.. harris, the proprietor Of the Genese
l. and Tiff houses, to employ extra d.
tectiyes to look out for them. Bot
ie houses are considered safe, but the quicl
sr IS with which the Richmond WI
a. burned, and the numerous other fire
have caused the idea to prevail that il
cendiaries have been at work. Mayo
= Becker has offered reward of $500 fl
= the detection of incendiaries. 1t is b
AZ lieved tonight that the death list wi
reach twenty or more,